Cowboys suffer another blow with Taumalolo booked in for surgery

Things just got a lot worse for the struggling Cowboys with their most important player ruled out for at least a month.

Jason Taumalolo of the Cowboys . (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

North Queensland’s horror year just got even worse with confirmation Jason Taumalolo will miss the next 4-6 weeks with a knee injury.

The Tongan superstar has been well below his best this year, held to under 130 running metres in four of his past five matches.

On Monday the club revealed Taumalolo suffered the injury earlier in the year, with the team’s medical staff deciding now was the time for him have surgery to repair the cartilage in his knee. He’ll go under the knife on Thursday.

Taumalolo was clearly hampered against the Warriors on Saturday, managing just 128 metres in the loss across the ditch. Picture; Andy Jackson/Getty Images

It’s yet another blow for a Cowboys side that is without Heilum Luki (hamstring), Griffin Neame (throat) and James Tamou (foot) for the foreseeable future, while Jordan Mclean has also been missing with a hamstring injury.

Their injury crisis is so bad that Jake Granville was forced to play in the front row just two years after he was running around at fullback.

It’s going to be hard for the Cowboys to turn things around, with North Queensland now in 16th spot and only ahead of the Wests Tigers after falling one game short of last year’s grand final.

The news is just as bad at the Bulldogs who can’t seem to take a trick at the moment.

Jacob Kiraz is set to miss the next three games with a grade two MCL injury in his right knee, while Andrew Davey suffered a serious finger injury in Sunday’s loss to the Eels and will miss at least the next three weeks.

With several other stars sidelined, including winger Josh Addo-Carr, coach Cameron Ciraldo declared this the worst injury crisis he’s ever seen.

The Bulldogs are now without their two starting wingers after Jacob Kiraz suffered a knee injury in Sunday’s loss to the Bulldogs. Picture; Matt King/Getty Images

“I've seen a number of times over the years where it looks unlucky and feels unlucky, but it’s just footy,“ he said.

“That's why you’ve got a top-30. We’ve got guys there who are going to have to come in and do the job and be the next man up.

“Our NSW Cup team is playing really well. This is why you have a club with all three grades, and all aspiring to be NRL players.

“Some of those guys are going to get their chances over the next few weeks and I'm excited to see how they go.

“This club is built on determination and grit, and we’re showing plenty of it at the moment.

“In the future – whether that’s in six months or one year or two years – we’re going to look back at this period and it’s going to be the making of some of these guys.”